Jon Watson | Director of Optical Coatings

John Watson has been an integral part of Optimax since 2000, starting as a Thin Film Coating Engineer while completing his degrees in optics from the University of Rochester. In 2022, he was promoted to Director of Optical Coatings, leading the company’s efforts in this critical area. John holds both a bachelor's and a master's degree in optics from the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his role.

He believes that Optimax's greatest asset is its people, stating, "At Optimax, our employees are the number one asset and are treated as such," highlighting the company’s supportive, small-company culture in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment.

Publications

TOUCH

Production of high laser-induced damage thresholds

Completing our suite of deposition equipment, we are developing a new Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) System with different substrate configurations.

TOUCH

Antireflection Coatings for Space Applications

Space can be a harsh environment for optical coatings. Optimax has successfully provided antireflection (AR) coatings for a wide range of space applications.

TOUCH

Designing and Selecting an Optical Cleaning Process

Every optical application requires a “clean” optical surface. However, what defines “clean” is subjective and is based on the needs of the application.

Education

Jon holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in optics from the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester. Jon accepted a position at Optimax as a Thin Film Coating Engineer while finishing his degrees at the University of Rochester.

Experience

He has been a part of the Optimax team for more than 20 years. In his current role as Director of Optical Coatings, Jon oversees a department of more than 40 scientists, engineers, and technicians. He has also led coating facility expansions in 2013 and 2020.